22182609

not annotated - annotated - LINNAEUS only

Infection by Mycorrhizal Fungi Increases Natural Enemy Abundance on Tobacco (Nicotiana rustica).

The presence of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) influences plant nutrient uptake, growth, and plant defensive chemistry, thereby directly influencing multi-trophic interactions. Different fungal isolates (genotypes of the same fungal species) have been shown to differ in nutrient uptake ability. Plants infected with different AMF genotypes may vary in foliar nutrient or defensive chemical levels, potentially influencing multi-trophic interactions. Using a completely randomized design, we compared the effect of two isolates of the mycorrhizal fungus Glomus etunicatum W. N. Becker & Gerdemann on silver leaf whitefly (Bemisia argentifolii Bellows & Perring) (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) and parasitic wasp (Eretmocerus eremicus Rose & Zolnerowich) (Hymenoptera: Aphelinidae) abundance. Whitefly populations were not influenced by AMF infection. Parasite populations were higher on plants infected with the isolate collected from Georgia, even after controlling for whitefly abundance and plant architecture. We propose that AMF indirectly influences parasite abundance and parasitism through a change in leaf surface chemicals that affect parasitic wasps. Because of the ubiquity of and genetic variation in AMF, multi-trophic interactions are likely to be strongly influenced by belowground processes.



Ann file

T1	Species 77 94	Nicotiana rustica

N1 Reference T1 Taxonomy:4093

T2 Species 657 674 Glomus etunicatum

N2 Reference T2 Taxonomy:27380

T3 Species 707 727 silver leaf whitefly

N3 Reference T3 Taxonomy:77855

T4 Species 729 749 Bemisia argentifolii

N4 Reference T4 Taxonomy:77855

T5 Species 818 838 Eretmocerus eremicus

N5 Reference T5 Taxonomy:272444

T6 Species 68 75 Tobacco